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The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom
| starring = Michelle Nicastro Robby Benson Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje Martin Landau Michael Gough Miranda Richardson Jason Alexander Tom Hulce Martin Short Minnie Driver Lance Henriksen | music = John Debney | cinematography = | editing = Gregory Perler Paul Murphy | studio = Universal Cartoon Studios Shuler Donner/Donner Productions The Kennedy/Marshall Company American Zoetrope Nest Family Entertainment Crest Animation Productions | distributor = Universal Studios Home Video (VHS release) Universal Pictures Home Entertainment (DVD release) | released = | runtime = 71 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }}The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom[http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_swan_princess_iii_the_mystery_of_the_enchanted_kingdom/ ''The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Kingdom] at Rotten Tomatoes (alternatively subtitled as ''The Swan Princess: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasurehttps://www.netflix.com/ca/title/60034387 or 'The Swan Princess III: The Mystery of the Enchanted Treasure'https://www.amazon.com/Swan-Princess-III-Enchanted-Treasure/dp/B0001AVZCG) is a 1998 American animated direct-to-video musical adventure film and the third installment in ''The Swan Princess franchise. It was directed by Richard Donner, and features the voices of Michelle Nicastro and Robby Benson as Odette and Derek. This film follows Derek and Odette having to deal with Zelda, a sorceress, who is seeking the Forbidden Arts and wishes to use it to destroy their happiness. This sequel features the returning voices of Nicastro and Tom Hulce from the first film, with all the other characters being re-cast. The overseas production was handled by Hanho Heung-Up, a South Korean animation studio that provided cel painting service for the original film, and also animated the first direct-to-video sequel, The Swan Princess: Escape from Castle Mountain. It was also the last film in the series to use traditional 2D animation and the last one to feature Nicastro before her death in 2010. The film was followed by another direct-to-DVD sequel: The Swan Princess Christmas which was then followed by a fourth sequel, The Swan Princess: A Royal Family Tale. Plot As Derek and Odette's kingdom prepares to celebrate Festival Days, the evil sorceress Zelda plots to reclaim Rothbart's notes on the Forbidden Arts; notes she helped write when she and Rothbart were partners. To discover if the notes still exist, Zelda captures a yakey-bird named Whizzer, who has the ability to imitate any voice after hearing it only once. Though Zelda's magical abilities are limited, she can create a magical fireball called a seeker to target anyone she commands it to. Threatening his life with this ability, Whizzer goes to Swan Lake Castle as a spy and overhears how Derek and Rogers discovered Rothbart's notes and had them hidden. Odette never knew Derek found the notes and always assumed if such things were discovered, the notes would be immediately destroyed. She tries to convince Derek to dispose of it saying how nothing good will ever come of them while Derek maintained his belief of someday using the notes for good. After Whizzer informs Zelda, she goes to the castle pretending to be an "accordion slave". She flirts and charms Lord Rogers with a story about how she had escaped a king who kept her locked up and play the accordion constantly. Rogers falls in love with Zelda and invites her to stay at the castle, despite the reservations of Queen Uberta. That night, Zelda steals the chest with Rothbart's notes and flees. To her dismay, the notes are incomplete and prevent her from gaining full power. Zelda questions Whizzer and learns that Derek tore off the remaining portion and has it hidden. Zelda casts a seeker to find Odette, while Whizzer is sent to deliver a ransom note to Derek. The seeker successfully brings Odette and Jean-Bob to Zelda's lair. At the castle, Derek receives the ransom note and retrieves the torn portion of Rothbart's notes from where he'd hidden it in the library. Whizzer is captured by Speed and Puffin, who convince him to help them stop Zelda. Whizzer eventually agrees and the group heads out to help Derek to rescue Odette. When Jean-Bob frees Odette, she attempts to sneak off with the notes only to be caught again. Zelda then transforms Odette into a swan, and imprisons her and Jean-Bob in a dome of green fire that would destroy them if they touch it. When Derek arrives at the meeting place to pay the ransom, Zelda tricks Derek into letting his guard down by disguising herself as Odette and snatches the final piece from his grip. Zelda mocks Derek and retracts her promise of returning Odette. Instead, she plans to test the Power to Destroy on Odette. Puffin and the others finally meet up with Derek and race toward Zelda's lair. They free Odette and Jean-Bob as Zelda was busy absorbing the Power to Destroy. Derek and the others face her in battle and as the fight ensues, Zelda conjures a destroying seeker and casts it at Odette. Odette, with Puffin, flies away from the lair in an attempt to escape. Whizzer distracts Zelda by imitating Rothbart's voice, allowing Derek to snap her wand in two. Zelda falls back onto her own dome of green fire spell and is destroyed. Puffin returns to the lair alone and tells Derek that Odette was killed by the seeker. Derek is heartbroken and sobs, regretting that he did not destroy the notes earlier. As he burns the notes, he apologizes to Odette and prays some good may still come from it. The flames take on the shape of a swan, from which Odette materializes, and returns to life. Derek embraces her and tells Odette he loves her. The Kingdom is safe once more and the festival takes place as planned with Jean-Bob winning the obstacle course and becoming prince for a day (with a little outside help from Whizzer), and Uberta and Rogers winning the talent show. As Derek and Odette watch the proceedings, Odette asks Derek to promise there is no more magic in the castle. Derek replies he cannot because "So long as you're here, there'll always be magic," and they kiss. Cast * Michelle Nicastro as Odette * Robby Benson as Derek * Minnie Driver as Zelda * Michael Gough as Lord Rogers * Miranda Richardson as Queen Uberta * Jason Alexander as Jean-Bob * Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as Speed * Martin Landau as Puffin * Martin Short as Whizzer * Tom Hulce as Bromley * Lance Henriksen as Rothbart * Jim Cummings as Frederick the Chief * Corey Burton as Bob Chucky * Bob Bergen as Gargoyles, Horses, Great Animal * Rino Romano, Ken Danziger, Philip Clarke, Al Roker, Fionnula Flanagan, Fiona Dwyer and Joe Baker as Kingdom Civilians * Frank Welker as Lions and Pigs Songs * "It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This" - performed by Michelle Nicastro, Robby Benson, Tom Hulce, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Martin Landau, Jason Alexander, Michael Gogh, Miranda Richardson and Chorus * "Because I Love Her" - performed by Robby Benson * "She's Gone!" - performed by Michael Gough * "Bad Days Ahead" - performed by Minnie Driver * "The Right Side" - performed by Martin Lamdau, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje and Martin Short * "Because I Love Her" Credits - performed by Connell Moss Release The film was originally released direct-to-video on August 4, 1998, with "It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This", "The Right Side", and "Because I Love Her" being used as three bonus sing alongs after the feature presentation. It was later released on DVD on March 30, 2004. A full double-sided widescreen set containing all three films and the sing-a-long was released on February 16, 2004, but is only available outside of the United States. An American release of a two-pack Double Feature DVD came out on August 2, 2005, containing this film and the original The Swan Princess. References External links * * Category:1998 animated films Category:1998 films Category:1998 direct-to-video films Category:1990s adventure films Category:1990s musical films Category:American films Category:American children's animated adventure films Category:American children's animated fantasy films Category:American fantasy adventure films Category:American fantasy comedy films Category:American independent films Category:American musical films Category:Animated musical films Category:Direct-to-video animated films Category:Direct-to-video sequel films Category:English-language films Category:Fantasy comedy films Category:Films directed by Richard Rich Category:Films featuring anthropomorphic characters Category:Animated films about birds Category:Films set in the Middle Ages Category:The Swan Princess Category:1990s American animated films Category:Universal Pictures direct-to-video animated films Category:Universal Animation Studios animated films Category:American Zoetrope films Category:The Kennedy/Marshall Company films Category:Animated films about animals Category:Musicals by Stephen Schwartz (composer) Category:Film scores by John Debney Category:Film scores by John Van Tongeren Category:Films directed by Richard Donner Category:Films produced by Lauren Shuler Donner Category:Films produced by Bonnie Arnold Category:Films produced by Richard Donner Category:Films produced by Francis Ford Coppola Category:Films produced by Fred Fuchs Category:Films produced by Kathleen Kennedy Category:Films produced by Frank Marshall